hello and welcome to newsday, it's 7am here in singapore and 7pm in new york where former us president donald trump sat through lurid claims in court during his trial over an alleged hush money payment to the adult film star, stormy daniels. ms daniels, who was giving evidence in person, went into explicit detail about her alleged sexual encounter with mr trump, so much so that his defence called for a mistrial. that was rejected by the judge. mr trump is facing charges of fraud for recording the payment to ms daniels as legal expenses. our north america editor sarah smith reports. each day, donald trump waved to the cameras before heading to court. but this was no ordinary day in this extraordinary trial. mr trump, is this true?

did you sleep with stormy? today in court, he had to watch a woman who claims she had sex with him openly testify about it. stormy daniels was paid $130,000 by mrtrump to stop her going public with claims of a sexual encounter shortly before the 2016 presidential election. just outside the court room, he insisted he shouldn't be on trial at all. and the trial is a very unfair trial. it's a very, very unfair trial. the good news is they have nothing. thank you. the court was shown this photograph of mr trump with stormy daniels, as she described first meeting him at a golf tournament in 2006, the day she says they later had sex. it was at this golf course, she says, that donald trump sent his bodyguard to invite her to dinner. when she got to his hotel suite, she laughed at him for wearing black silk pyjamas while he dangled the possibility of her appearing on his tv show, the apprentice. when she asked about his wife, melania, he told her they slept in separate rooms. as ms daniels described having

sex on the bed with mr trump, without using any protection, she was frequently interrupted by objections from his lawyers. her testimony was so prejudicial, they argued, the judge should declare a mistrial. he agreed there were some things that would probably have been better left unsaid. but the case goes on. ms daniels was asked if she hates donald trump when his lawyers cross—examined her. yes, she said, as it all got very heated. he had to listen to her admit she had publicly called him an "orange turd," and that she would like to see him injail and she wants him held accountable. before his lawyer directly accused stormy daniels of trying to extort the former president through the hush money deal. earliertoday, mrtrump posted on social media, "i've just recently been told who the witness is today. this is unprecedented. no time for lawyers to prepare. nojudge has ever run a trial in such a biased and partisan way. " he then quickly deleted it. he's already been warned by thejudge he could be jailed

if he continues to post about witnesses in this trial. sara smith, bbc news, new york. and a florida judge has indefinitely postponed donald trump's criminal trial over his alleged mishandling of classified documents. the former president had been scheduled to go on trial on may 20 but the districtjudge said that was not possible because of the number of pre—trial motions before the court. a new date for the start of the federal trial has not been set.

the united nations says israel is not allowing humanitarian aid and workers into gaza through the rafah crossing, after its forces took control of the gaza side of the border with egypt. hamas has warned that the israeli incursion there aims to undermine efforts to secure a ceasefire. last night, hamas announced it had accepted proposals drawn up by international mediators, but the deal was rejected by israel as "far from meeting" its "core demands". paul adams reports from jerusalem a deal may now be tantalizingly close. but in rafah, israel's military pressure is relentless. today, severing gaza's last link with the outside world, the crossing point into egypt. and raising theirflag, sending an unmistakable message to hamas. the noose is tightening. the sounds of approaching war echo among the displaced. hundreds of thousands of palestinians living in the sand against the egyptian border. well, next to the sea. "i don't know where to stay," ahmed says. "people are fleeing from rafah and i have my children with me." gazans have been on the move since yesterday morning, heeding israel's latest

warnings, not knowing if the coming days will bring relief or despair. translation: after what we've witnessed, they've said - multiple times that there will be a ceasefire. but we're frustrated and we have no hope. there's no big hope. only a small one. for aid agencies already struggling to cope, the prospect of a full—scale israeli operation in rafah is alarming. as the operation will progress, we will lose progressively more areas to the fighting. and i'm afraid that this will also affect our warehouses, health facilities, hospitals. and there are very, very few sites where we have the ability to give medical support. for the families of israeli hostages, these are also moments of acute anxiety. john and rachel's son, hirsch, was abducted and badly

injured on october the 7th. no sign of life until this hamas video two weeks ago. his parents nowjust daring to hope. when we heard the news that maybe there's a deal, we were cautiously optimistic and we remain cautiously optimistic. it's scary to have military actions going on. they're innocent civilians, including our son. we just, we just need this to come to an end and we need the mediators on all sides and the two main parties tojust sit in the room and hammer this out and don't come out of the room without a deal. away from the quiet dignity of the hostage families, friends and supporters are determined to make as much noise as possible,

demanding the government do more to rescue hirsch and all the others. these israelis protesting in the heart ofjerusalem tonight feel that a deal to end this terrible war has never been closer. and so, as they protest close to the prime minister's official residence, their demands are becoming more and more urgent. israel's defence minister says the rafah operation won't stop until hamas is eliminated, or the hostages start to return. talks are continuing, a successful outcome still far from guaranteed. with me in studio isjean—loup samaan, senior research fellow at the national university of singapore's middle east institute. lots happened in the last 2a hours — and now israel is sending a delegation to cairo for further talks — is a ceasefire realistic?

i think on this topic, cautious optimism is the right expression. clearly, ithink optimism is the right expression. clearly, i think we see some elements that tend to say that both sides are still considering a cease fire and at the same time, there is a lot of attention regarding the latest revised proposal that the israeli government didn't accept and there is love and certainty under the hostages and it could lead israel to consider the proposal is just irrelevant. and a lot can happen but i don't think we've reached a point where this is no longer relevant. israel has taken control of the gaza side of the rafah/egypt border as it continues it's military operations there. what impact will that have on the talks?

i think it is a continuation of this and the israeli government is putting pressure as it did in the past on the and telling them that if you do not accept our demands, we will go ahead with the operation. having said that, the israelis as well as the americans is that what we have seen over the last days is not a full scale operation. we did not see a ground invasion yet but clearly what we saw is a lot of air strikes and a lot of special forces entering rafah and this could be the beginning of the full—scale operation. and what we see in the collapse of the hostage negotiations and it may happen. do you think israel is close to it's endgame in gaza?

if we remove the rafah issue from the picture and most of the operations inside gaza have been decreasing over the last few months and this really forces on the ground of been reduced images of two brigades and this is worst—case scenario, this is going to be the last chapter of the military operation and this can be devastating chapter indefinitely of the humanitarian humanitarian level but clearly, we are not at the same point we were when the operation wasjust same point we were when the operation was just starting and we're just talking about the operation and i think no matter what happens, this is going to be the final chapter. jean—loup samaan, senior research fellow, middle east institute, national university of singapore

airports across the uk are suffering a nationwide failure of passport e—gate systems. passengers have been reporting long queues to get to passport control — at airports including manchester, sta nsted and heathrow. the home office said it was working to resolve the issue. let's speak to laura howes, who is stuck in a queue at stansted airport in london. she arrived about an hour ago from fuerteventura. get us up to speed with the situation at the moment and we know you're back into the uk and you're having trouble. in last five minutes, people have broken through the barrier to sierra my left to get through to get there faster and hundreds of people are around me now and it's is not a huge amount of floor left and there's just hitting busier and

busier and we don't have any answers or additional information as of yet. it seems a frustration _ information as of yet. it seems a frustration is _ information as of yet. it seems a frustration is growing - information as of yet. it seems a frustration is growing among | a frustration is growing among the passengers and must be playing a part in that and how long it's going to be and what it's going to be doing tab the situation and you seem to have knocked your camera over and stop you love someone else and everybody is never looking where they're going. just going to net to where they're going. just going to get to where _ where they're going. just going to get to where they're - where they're going. just going to get to where they're going i to get to where they're going and no one knows why there's so many delays and issues and we don't know how quickly until it's resolved and people don't know when they're going to get there they go to work with are going to take their children home is quite chaotic. find going to take their children home is quite chaotic. and does this alleviate _ home is quite chaotic. and does

this alleviate any _ home is quite chaotic. and does this alleviate any of— home is quite chaotic. and does this alleviate any of the - this alleviate any of the frustrations by trying to help people who are stuck in queues? i see people handing out water to members of the airport but i haven't seen anyone else been offered water and children are being prioritised but i would say they're being encouraged by the people in the queues rather than airport staff themselves and parents and people are getting through the queues faster if they have children there's no guarantee that it will be going anywhere. i don't know if you — will be going anywhere. i don't know if you be _ will be going anywhere. i don't know if you be able _ will be going anywhere. i don't know if you be able to - will be going anywhere. i don't know if you be able to answerl know if you be able to answer this but our flight still arriving, presumably it is a bottleneck forming is more flights arrive?— bottleneck forming is more flights arrive? and from their lane to flights arrive? and from their plane to possible _ flights arrive? and from their plane to possible control - flights arrive? and from their plane to possible control in i plane to possible control in the past minute and there still flights arriving in my delays

and i don't know whether the be delayed and certainly imagine that there'll be more flights come given that his sister arrived in the past minute. lovely the bid clears up in speaking to stanford airport. around the world and across the uk. this is bbc news.

the ukrainian security service says it's foiled a russian plot to assassinate president zelensky. two colonels have been detained, suspected of passing on secret information to russia's security agency, the fsb. 0ur ukraine correspondent james waterhouse says mr zelensky has not commented on the plot well, there's been no mention by president zelensky about his evening address on this attempt in this plot against his life which suggests how routine and

such attempts have become but is intelligence services been very keen to talk about these two arrests of two serving members of the service were responsible for keeping officials safe and be out of allegations they face is being hired as moles before the full—scale invasion where meetings overseas where they were large amounts of money exchanged and trying to recruit some of president zelensky and his top officials security guards who might be willing to kidnap and kill them and are alleged to have brought weapons to kyiv including antipersonnel mines, drones, explosives and is looks like at the very least, quite the infiltration into president zelensky�*s inner circle. but the service here are saying that they are monitored it throughout and they got ahead of it. but this

is a wartime leader, we must remind ourselves, was willing to travel around the country and faces very real risks on a daily basis and i do not think you'll be put off by this latest attempt by two shows the attempts that russia allegedly is willing to carry out along side but it's trying to do on the battlefield. vladimir putin attended a familiar ceremony today — as he was sworn in for the 5th time as russia's president. mr putin has been in power since the turn of the century and is now beginning an unprecedented new six—year term after winning 88% of the vote. at a lavish ceremony in the kremlin, he was unapologetic about invading ukraine, although he conceded that russia was going through a difficult period. 0ur russia editor, steve rosenberg was there. bells chime. in russia, times change. vladimir vladimirovich putin. but the leader stays the same. vladimir putin strode into the

throne hall of russian tsars. the gold, the grandeur of the grand kremlin palace matched the image he's cultivating of a modern day russian emperor. vladimir putin could have walked this with his eyes shut. after all, he's been down this way many times before. he is the longest serving leader in russia since dictatorjosef stalin. this is vladimir putin's fifth term in the kremlin. the oath to serve the russian people... and then, the leader who had invaded ukraine, accused the west of aggression. translation: we're not refusing to speak to western nations. - it's up to them whether they keep trying to hold russia back and continue their aggression and years of pressure on our country, or seek a path to cooperation and peace.

peace. here, they're not expecting that any time soon. translation: the west needs a weak russia - that will fall apart. putin is standing in their way, so they try to weaken russia by attacking putin. we are in the war, and the war is serious and we are fighting and... you could stop it tomorrow, though, by pulling your troops out of ukraine. of course not. we will never stop because we are fighting for our people. it's incredible to think that in the nearly quarter of a century that vladimir putin has been in power in russia, america has been through five different presidents. britain has had seven prime ministers. mr putin's supporters welcome the continuity as they see it, despite the danger that comes from having one man in power for so long with so few checks and balances. then, outside, more pomp for putin. and more imperial symbols.

putin thinks of himself now as vladimir the great, as a russian tsar. everything now in terms of the symbolism, the way that he refers to himself, this russia now forged in war for the future, is taking us back to these past patterns in russian and soviet history. but it's notjust in the kremlin where you'll find president putin. 70 miles from moscow, big vladimir is watching you. western governments called russia's election a sham. but in the town of cachoeira, what do they think of the man who was declared the winner? "i like him," says valentina. "putin does a lot for people. 0ur pensions aren't big, but he can't fix everything in one go."

"he's had 25 years," i say. "but we don't know who'd come next," she says. perhaps that's because potential rivals are in exile or injail, leaving one man running russia. steve rosenberg, bbc news, moscow. it's been revealed that prince harry will not meet king charles during his visit to the uk this week. a spokesman for the duke of sussex said a meeting between father and son wasn't possible because of the king's busy schedule. harry is in london to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the invictus games which he set up to help rehabilitate wounded or sick service personnel. the eurovision song contest, the world's biggest music competition, has kicked off in the swedish city of malmo. fifteeen countries have performed in the first semi—final. a warning in the following story there will be flash photography

and strobing lights. croatia, ukraine, finland are among the first 10 countries to have qualified for the grand final on saturday. and irland's entry, bambie thug has become the first irish eurovision song contest finalist since 2018. there'll be another semi—final on thursday, where 16 more countries will compete. but the contest is taking place amid protests against the gaza war. former swedish eurovision contestant eric saade was not competing and had the keffiyeh symbol, commonly used by people who want to show their support for palestinians, on his arm as he performed his 2011 entry popular. earlier, i spoke to eurovision expert and journalist callum rowe, who's is in malmo and asked him about the significance of this year's contest. this years contest, first of all, it's the most and biggest watched non—sporting event on the entire planet where the hundred 50 million people across europe and worldwide watch it and almost for 70 years now, they have people across europe and indeed the

world love it as a chance for people to come together and celebrate music and share culture and it's not the biggest event in the world for nothing. biggest event in the world for nothinu. ,., , , biggest event in the world for nothinu. , _ . nothing. does this year felt different to _ nothing. does this year felt different to others - nothing. does this year felt different to others because| nothing. does this year felt i different to others because of the ongoing wars in gaza and you ukraine. it seems to always get itself tied up — ukraine. it seems to always get itself tied up in _ ukraine. it seems to always get itself tied up in the _ itself tied up in the politics as best as he tries not to and the fact that we're talking about the inclusion of israel shows that the headline simply will not go away for contest organisers along with three or four days now, i must admit, i'm seeing more and more palestinian flags and i don't feel unsafe, there were some protests last week and there's been some protests this weekend and more planned later in the week with the finnish authorities seem to be on top of everything in the organisers, seem to be wiping

their brow because things are going off without a hitch so far. , . , going off without a hitch so far. , ., , ., far. tell us a bit about the semifinal _ far. tell us a bit about the semifinal that _ far. tell us a bit about the semifinal that has - far. tell us a bit about the semifinal that has just - far. tell us a bit about the i semifinal that has just taken place. semifinal that has 'ust taken lace. ~ . semifinal that has 'ust taken lace, ~ ., ., semifinal that has 'ust taken lace. . ., ., semifinal that has 'ust taken lace. . . ., ., place. we are an hour or so after the — place. we are an hour or so after the first _ place. we are an hour or so after the first live _ place. we are an hour or so after the first live semifinalj after the first live semifinal and we have another one on thursday evening by the verse one is just great to have thursday evening by the verse one isjust great to have music be the centre of attention for two hours earlier this evening. you mentioned the island and sort of nowhere and the expectations of fans and experts and journalists and the bookmakers and now, there's a difference rehearsal yesterday and suddenly, it became one of the top favourites to when the entire competition in their having been a finals since 2013, this remarkable for ireland. everyone coming together and celebrating the careers of another fan favourite and the noises tied the arena almost unlike anything ever heard before.

that's all for now — stay with bbc news. hello. the weather has been gradually drying up over the past 2a hours or so, and we've got some more dry, settled weather on the cards through much of the week ahead, really. high pressure is going to be in charge over the next few days. but for the rest of the week, we will at times see weather fronts just trying to topple across the north of that high pressure. could bring a little bit of rain at times across parts of scotland in particular, perhaps the north of northern ireland. but it'll be warming up here. mostly dry elsewhere, though, with some spells of sunshine on the cards. so we are in for a relatively quiet few days of weather. we're likely to start wednesday morning with quite a bit of mist and fog around,

especially so for parts of eastern england, also perhaps wales and the south—west of england. could be some misty patches elsewhere. for most, they'll tend to lift and clear, so it'll brighten up — some sunny spells, particularly for england and wales. just the odd isolated shower. more rain moving into the north west of scotland later on in the afternoon. so temperatures in the north—west, under the cloud, about 13 there for stornoway, but up to around about 21 for the likes of birmingham and london too. so there's that wet weather through wednesday evening, northern ireland, northern and western scotland seeing some outbreaks of rain. further south, most places staying dry, but there should be some mist and some fog that's going to be forming again into the early hours of thursday morning, but certainly mild — many places staying in double figures overnight. so more of the same on thursday, high pressure still in charge. so a lot of dry weather, mist clearing away gradually. lots of sunshine, i think, for england and wales by this stage. there just could be

the odd isolated shower. again, a little bit more cloud across the north of scotland. temperatures in lerwick only around 11 degrees, but for the bulk of the uk, we're looking at around about 18 to 22 degrees. and that warming trend will continue as we head into friday, too. so, high pressure still very much in charge. i think by friday, we'll have less in the way of rain and cloud across the north of scotland, and quite widely across the uk, in those spells of sunshine, temperatures will be above 20 degrees. we could see 23 or even 2a down towards the south—east. again, a little bit cooler, especially across the north of scotland and the northern isles in particular. now, heading into the weekend, it looks like high pressure will be sitting out towards the east there. this weather front will just try and nudge in from the west by the time we get to sunday. but saturday, certainly looking dry, fine, pretty warm for all of us. just that chance of a few showers moving into the west as we head through sunday. bye for now.

tiktok swipes back — the social media giant files a lawsuit to stop a ban in the united states. and how a once polluted town is trying to become one of the greenest in europe. hello and a warm welcome to the first day of our new show, business today. i'm steve lai, coming to you live from singapore, where it would probably be descibed as "same—same but different." rest asssured, our business today team is dedicated to bringing you the latest and most relevant business stories of the day. and there's no better

way to get you familiar with the new look and feel than to get on with it and start with our top story. the chinese owner of tiktok has said it will sue the us government over a new law which requires it to sell the video—sharing platform or be banned in america. the company has called the legislation an "extraordinary intrusion on free speech rights". from new york, michelle fleury has more. tiktok is hugely popular in america. 170 million people use the platform to communicate. lawmakers aren't so keen. congress and the biden administration believe the app and its chinese owners bytedance could be a danger to national security. the argument goes that beijing could commandeer it to surveil and manipulate americans. so they've given the company until the day before the next us president takes office — on the 20th of january — to sell or face a ban here in the united states. tiktok, well, it's fighting back, challenging the constitutionality of the new law, arguing in its legalfiling, for the first time in history, congress has enacted a law

that subjects a single named speech platform to a permanent nationwide ban.